Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices of Nurses and Nursing Students for Hand Hygiene

Abstract

Background: The current study aimed to determine the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of nurses and nursing students for hand hygiene. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 340 subjects (164 nurses and 176 nursing students). Data collection tools included the hand hygiene belief scale and the hand hygiene practices inventory (HHPI). Chi-square and independent samples Ttests were used for data analysis. Results: The mean scores of the HHPI were 66.36 ± 7.08 and 64.52 ± 4.90 for nurses and the students, respectively; the difference between the measures was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The mean scores of the nurses and the students for hand hygiene importance were 13.38 ± 1.75 and 13.29 ± 1.81, for hand hygiene beliefs were 71.87 ± 8.35 and 73.00 ± 7.54, and for hand hygiene knowledge were 33.81 ± 2.89 and 34.26 ± 2.23, respectively. Although approximately 90.2% of the subjects in both groups were trained in hand hygiene, the influence of training on students was proportionally higher than that of nurses; while compliance with the principles of hand hygiene and beliefs in its importance in infection control were significantly higher in nurses. Conclusions: There was a moderate level of knowledge, practices, perceives and beliefs in nurses and students for the importance of hand hygiene. Compliance with the importance of hand hygiene in infection control is complex, and perceptual factors concerning hand hygiene, in addition to an individual's knowledge could affect the behaviors related to hand hygiene compliance.

Factors influencing hand hygiene compliance of healthcare students

“…In one study the mean hand hygiene scores among student nurses were found to be 34.26/40, 86.39/115 and 64.52/70 for knowledge, belief, and practice respectively. 14 This study also has shown that the mean hand hygiene scores among dental students were 5.90, 7.21 and 5.39 out of 10 for knowledge, belief, and practice respectively. In one study among dental students the average knowledge score was 4.2 out of 10 while the attitude and practice scores were represented by 10.2 out of 12 and 5.4 out of 6, respectively.…”

A systematic review on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance in student nurses

“…), Hand Hygiene Belief Scale (HHBS; Karadag et al. ), Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory (HHPI; Karadag et al. ), Hand Hygiene Knowledge (HHK; Kim et al.…”

“…), Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory (HHPI; Karadag et al. ), Hand Hygiene Knowledge (HHK; Kim et al. ), Hand Hygiene Knowledge Inventory (HHKI; Jeong & Kim ), Hand Hygiene Questionnaire (HHQ; van de Mortel et al.…”

Knowledge, attitude and practices of hand hygiene among nurses and nursing students in a tertiary health care center of Central India: a questionnaire based study

“…Assessing the factors affecting hand hygiene compliance in nursing students also provide a chance to address any gaps in knowledge and practices before the students complete their course and enter into the medical community. 6,9 Under the light of above facts, the current questionnaire based study was planned and undertaken in order to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of staff nurses and nursing students regarding hand hygiene at a tertiary care teaching hospital of Central India.…”